Lawn mower



June 18, 1935. R. R. POYNTER 2,005,204

LAWN MOWER Filed Feb. 25, 1935 nul IIIIII IIIIIIII INVENTOR. 'jialpli 1?. Pa mfer,

15 ii? BY I I ATTORNEYS I Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE aocslm LAWN Mowaa Ralph a. Poynter, Lebanon, in. Application February 2:. 193:, Serial m. 051,99:

14 Claims. (oi. sc-zss) The present application relates to a lawn mower, and more particularly to a lawn mower of such character as to be capable of cutting tall tough grass or weeds as readily as it will cut shorter grass, and the like. The primary object of the invention is toprovide a lawn mower which will be more efilcient in operation than the ordinary type of lawn mower. A further object of the invention is to provide a lawn mower which shall be unusually quiet in operation, and yet fully eifective to cut grass, weeds, and the like growing upon lawns, golf courses, in cemeteries, and elsewhere. A further object of the invention. is to provide a lawn mower of the character described which shall be operable without too great exertion of force. A further object of the invention is to provide a device capable of cutting grass, weeds, and the like without the use of a stationary shear blade, or any other sta- 20 tionary-cutting element. A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described in which the cutting is eflected solely by a'rotating blade, running entirely free of association with any other cutting element.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying draw- 30 ing,- attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawing is illustrative only. and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a lawn mowe constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental transverse section, upon an enlarged scale, the section being taken in several parallel planes; v

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section, taken at right angles to the section of Fig. 2, and illustrating a detail of construction; and

Fig; 4 is a sectional view taken in a plane a right angles to the plane of Fig. 3.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises a pair of ground wheels Ill and II mounted upon an axle I2. Said wheels are preferably rotatably mounted upon the axle, and driving connections are provided between one or both of said wheels and said axle. In Fig. 3, one preferred form of driving connection is illustrated. A collar I3 is mounted upon the axle l2 adjacent the inner surface of thewheel ll, said collar 55' being held rigidly in position on the axle by a tated in counter-clockwise direction as viewed set'screw II, or the like. The inner surface of said collar adjacent the wheel H is formed with a plurality of ratchet teeth I! with which cooperates a plunger l6 slidable in a socket formed in the hub ll of the wheel II and urged toward 5 engagement with the ratchet teeth by a spring I'I. One or more of said plungers l6 may be provided in the hub l3, and, if desired, the abovedescribed mechanism may be associated with each of the wheels l0 and II, or it may be associated with one only of said wheels.

- The ratchet teeth I! are so designed that the plunger M will engage therewith to provide a driving connection between the wheel II and the axle l2 in one direction of relative rotation 15 only. It will be seen that the structure illustrated in Fig. 3 comprises a one-way clutch; and, of course, the teeth ii are so designed as to provide driving connection between the wheel II and the axle I! only when the wheel II is rofrom the right of Fig. l.

A housing l3 provides a. bearing which is journalled upon the axle 12. A driving pinion 2| is keyed to the axle l2 within the housing I3, and said pinion meshes with a gear 22. carried upon a stub axle 23 suitably journalled as at 24 within the housing l3. Integral with, or rigidly attached to, the gear 22 upon the shaft 23 is a gear 25 which meshes with a gear 26 carried 30 upon a shaft 21 extending through the housing l3 and journalled as at 23 therein. Thus, a speedincreasing gear train is provided, connecting the axle 12 to drive the shaft 21.

An arm 23 terminatesat one end in a collar 30 which is swung upon the axle l2. Said arm carries at its free end a housing 3!.

.A similar arm 32 terminates at one end in a collar 33 swung upon the axle l2; and said, arm 32 carries at its free end a housing 34. The housings 3| and 33 are formed to provide bearings 33 in which are journalled the opposite ends of the shaft 21. I

Within the housing 34, the shaft 21 carries a gear 33 meshing with a helical gear 31' reciprocably mounted upon a shaft 33 journalled within said housing 34 to rotate upon an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of the axle I 2. In the illustrated embodiment, said gear 31 is formed at its lower end with a plurality of teeth '33 adapted to be received in cammed sockets 40 formed in the upper surface of a collar 4| pinned on said shaft 33. The collar ll is supported upon an anti-friction bearing 42, and said collar, turn, supports the shaft 33.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the gear 31 is A pusher bar 54 carries at its lower end two loosely mounted upon the shaft 33, said gear 31 being free to reciprocate and to rotate with respect to said shaft. Obviously, when said gear 31 is driven ina counter-clockwise direction, as viewed from above, the teeth 39 will be driven into the sockets 40 of the collar 4|, whereby the collar 4| will be driven with said gear. Now, if the operator of the machine suddenly stops the machine after he has been moving it forwardly, the blades 43 and 44 will tend to continue to rotate. The gear 35, which meshes with the gear 31, is held against rotation by the train of gears which connects it with the axle I2. As the collar 4| continues to rotate, under the influence of the blade 43, the cooperating cam surfaces of the notches and the teeth 33 will force the gear 31 to move upwardly on the shaft 33. Such upward movement will result in a slight counter-clockwise movement of the gear 31, because of the cooperation of the gear 31 with the then stationary gear 33; but that rotation will be at a rate less than the rate of rotation of the collar 4|.

It will be clear from the above that the gear 31 and the collar 4| cooperate to form an overrunning clutch which, through movement of the gear 31 upwardly on the shaft 38, will permit the blade 43 to run freely in one direction without driving the gear train through which said blade is connected to the axle l2.

Said shaft 33 projects downwardly through the lower wall of the casing 34 and, without said casing, carries a toothed blade 43.

The shaft 21 carries, upon its end within the housing 3|, 9'. gear similar to the gear 35 meshing with a helical gear similar to the gear 31, but oppositely threaded; and the mechanism within the housing 3| is in other respects entirely similar to the mechanism within the housing 34, just described. A toothed blade 44, oppositely cut with respect to the blade 43, is carried upon the vertical shaft mounted in the housing 3|.

It will be seen that, when the lawnmower is pushed forward, the blade 44 will be rotated in a clockwise direction, and the blade 43 will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed from above; and it will further be seen that said blades will be rotated at high angular velocity, and that they will overrun the wheels "and II because of the provision of the ratchet mechanisms illustrated in Fig. 3; or will overrun the axle l2 because of the provision of the oneway clutch mechanisms illustrated in Fig. 2.

I prefer to provide a guard 45 which follows more or less closely the conformation of the forward edges of the blades 43 and 44, projecting slightly beyond the same, whereby injury to persons or animals accidently coming into dangerous proximity to the rotating blades is obviated. Said guard is centrally secured to a bracket 45 carried by the housing I3, and its opposite ends may preferably be secured to the housings 3| and 34, or to extensions 41 leading rearwardly therefrom.

Saidextensions 41 project rearwardly from the housings 3| and 34, and each of said extensions is formed with a substantially vertical slideway 43 in which is formed a longitudinally extending slot 43 adapted adjustably to receive a bolt 53 carried by an arm The lower end of each of said arms 5| is formed with an aperture for receiving the axle 52 of a ground roller 53. It will be obvious that the relation of the leading edges of the blades 43 and 44 to the ground may be varied by adjustment of the bolts 50 in the slots 43,

yoke elements 55 and 55, and the free ends of said yoke elements 55 and 56 are pivoted as at 51 to the extensions 41, at points intermediate the roller 53 and the vertical plane including the axle l2.

.times be desirable. Such an arrangement will,

under some circumstances, provide for more satisfactory adjustment of the blades 43 and 44 with respect to the ground.

It will be seen that the arms 23 and 32, together with the housings 3| and 34 and the extensions 41, constitute a frame swung upon the axle I2.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of ground wheels mounted on an axle and having a driving connection therewith, a toothed blade hung from said axle and rotatable on a substantially vertical axis, and speed-increasing means connecting said axle to drive said blade, said blade running free of association with any other cutting element. 2. In a device of the class described, a pair of ground wheels loosely mounted on an axle, a one-way clutch associated with each of said wheels and with said axle, a toothed blade hung from said axle and rotatable on a substantially vertical axis, and speed-increasing means connecting said axle to drive said blade, said blade running free of association with any other cutting element.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of ground wheels mounted on an axle and having a driving connection therewith, a toothed blade hung from said axle and rotatable on a substantially vertical axis, and speed-increasing means connecting said axle to drive said blade, said means including a one-way clutch whereby said blade is driven by said means in one direction but may overrun said means, at times, said blade running free of association with any other cutting elements.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of ground wheels loosely mounted on an axle, a one-way clutch associated with each of said wheels and with said axle, a toothed blade hung from said axle and rotatable on a substantially vertical axis, and speed-increasing means connecting said axle to drive said blade, said means including a one-way clutch whereby said blade is driven by said means in onedirection but may overrun said means, said blade running free of association with any other cutting element.

5. In a device of the class described, an axle, a round wheel mounted on said axle and having a driving connection therewith, a frame hung on said axle, a toothed blade mounted for rotation on said frame, transmission means connecting said axle to drive said blade, and means for oscillating said frame about the axis of said axle, whereby the space between the leading edge of said blade and the ground may be varied.

6. In a device of the class described, an axle, a ground wheel mounted on said axle and having a driving connection therewith, a frame hung on said axle, a toothed blade mounted for rotation on said frame, transmission means connecting said axle to drive said blade, a ground roll carried on said frame and separated from theaxis of said blade by a vertical plane passingthrough said axle, and means for adjusting said roll vertically with respect to said frame.

7. In a device of the class described, an axle, a ground wheel mounted on said axle and having a driving connection therewith, a frame hung on said axle, a toothed blade mounted for rotation on said frame, transmission means connecting said axle to drive said blade, and a ground roll mounted on said frame and vertically adjustable with respect thereto, said roll being spaced from a. vertical plane passing through said axle.

8. In a device of the class described, an axle, a ground wheel mounted on said axle-and having a driving connection therewith, a frame oscillably mounted on said axle, a shaft carried on said frame parallel with said axle, a gear train connecting said axle to drive said shaft, a toothed blade carried on said frame and rotatable about a substantially vertical axis, a gear train connecting said shaft to drive said blade, and a oneway clutch included in one of said gear trains.

9. In a device of the class described, an axle, a ground wheel mounted on said axle and having.

a driving connection therewith, a frame oscillably mounted on said axle, a shaft carried on said frame parallel with said axle, a gear train connecting said axle to drive said shaft, two-toothed blades carried on said frame and disposed substantially in the same substantially horizontal plane for rotation about spaced axes disposed substantially in the samevertical plane, said two blades comprising the only cutting elements in the organization, means connecting said shaft to drive both of said blades, and one-way clutch means connected in the driving. train between said wheel and said blades.

10. In a device of the class described, an axle, a ground wheel mounted on said axle and having a driving connection therewith, a frame oscillably mounted on said axle, a shaft carried on said frame parallel with said axle, a gear train connecting said axle to drive said shaft, two non-' serrated peripheries of said blades.

mounted on said axle, a shaft carried on said frame parallel with said axle, a gear .train connecting said axle to drive said shaft, two toothed blades carried on said frame for rotation about spaced axes, means connecting said shaft to drive both of said blades, and a one-way clutch interposed between said shaft and each of said blades.

12. In a device of the class described, an axle, Q

shaft in mesh with another element of said train,

a housing carried by each of saidarms, each of said last-named housings providing a bearing for an end of said shaft, a pinion on each end of said shaft within one of said last-named housings, a shaft substantially vertically mounted in each of said last-named housings and carrying a toothed blade without the housing, a helical gear within each of said last-named housings and meshing with its associated pinion, and, one-way clutch means associating each of said helical gears with the vertically mounted shaft in its housing.

13. A lawn mower comprising an axle, a pair of ground wheels mounted on said axle, a frame oscillably mounted on said axle, a toothed blade mounted on said frame for rotation about a substantially vertical axis spaced forwardly from the vertical plane including said axle, transmission means connecting one of said wheels to drive said blade, a ground roller carried on said frame upon an axis spaced rearwardly from said plane, means for adjustably securing said roller in any one of a plurality of vertically spaced positions with respect to said frame, and a pusher bar connected to said frame at a point intermediate said plane and the axis of said roller.

14. A lawn mower comprising an axle, a pair of ground wheels mounted on said axle, a frame mounted on said axle, a plurality of toothed blades carried on said frame for rotation about spaced, substantially vertical axes, speed-increasing transmission means connecting one of said wheels to drive said blades, said means operating to drive adjacentones of said blades in opposite directions, and one-way clutch means disposed between said transmission means and said blades.

' RALPH R. PoYN'rER. 

